North Central College Hosts Lectures on Power of Political Opposition, divided Germany

From North Central College

North Central College will host two lectures in April by Michael Lunberg, Consistorial Councillor in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany, about the power of political opposition. 

Lunberg grew up in East Germany under a repressive communist state and political party and was active in the opposition movement in the late 1980s leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

His first presentation will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, April 2, in North Central's Koten Chapel at Kiekhofer Hall, 329 E. School St., Naperville. The title of his talk is "Dietrich Bonhoeffer: 'A Spoke in the Wheel.' A Theology of Opposition and Forgiveness." 

His second lecture is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, also in Koten Chapel. The topic will be "The Protestant Church During Socialism in East Germany: Experiences in Religious Youth Groups From 1980-1990."

Both presentations are free and open to the public and will be supported by visuals. They will feature a museum exhibition on life and opposition in East Germany and opportunities for questions and answers.

Born in the communist country of East Germany, Lunberg grew up in Potsdam, less than one hour from the divided city of Berlin. Because his father was a pastor in the Lutheran Church, his family was marginalized by the state and Lunberg was denied access to advanced education. He was active in the growing opposition movement to the communist regime in 1988 and 1989 and participated in peaceful demonstrations, many of which were organized by churches.

After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and Germany was unified, Lunberg studied theology. Today, he serves as the Consistorial Councillor of the Protestant Church in Berlin and the state of Brandenburg. In his role he is responsible for establishing, implementing and overseeing all aspects of Protestant religious study in the state of Brandenburg. 

These lectures are hosted by North Central College's Cultural Events program, Office of Ministry and Service, department of Modern and Classical Languages and the German program. They are some of many ongoing programs hosted at the College to enrich and broaden the academic and cultural outlook for the campus and community. For more information about these lectures, contact Gregory H. Wolf, North Central's professor of German, at ghwolf@noctrl.edu or 630-637-5284. For a comprehensive schedule of lectures, art exhibits, musical performances and theatrical productions, visitnorthcentralcollege.edu/show.